University of Utah President Taylor Randall has embarked on a north-to-south bus tour of the state throughout the summer. Monday morning the tour made its way through Carbon County with various stops.

“We feel like we have a responsibility to have a reach throughout the state and so these tours have been really instructive,” said President Randall. “They are really listening tours. We come, we meet with local officials, and we try to understand the basic needs of their community. The University of Utah is unique because we not only educate people, but we do research that can impact communities and we also have a large health care system.”

After spending time in Helper, President Randall made his way to Price City to speak in front of the nearly completed Bookcliff Mural. The mural, designed by local artist Kate Kilpatrick-Miller, is located off Main Street and Carbon Avenue, and will be unveiled on Saturday. The work depicts Price’s history and hope for the future.

One of the bus tour’s objectives is to highlight the University of Utah’s partnerships throughout the state.

Over the past three years, and with the support of the Alliance for the American Dream/Schmidt Futures, the University of Utah joined with local leaders to raise incomes and diversify the economy in Carbon and Emery counties. This initiative is known as the Coal Country Partnership.

The Coal Country Partnership has already made a massive impact, including grants to Price City and Castle Dale City to assist with downtown beautification and Main Street revitalization.

President Randall says the effort serves as a national model for how a public university can organize and help communities. “The University of Utah is well positioned, particularly with communities and transition. If you bring us your opportunities and challenges, we are able to see how we can help you.”

Other successes include grants to Carbon and Emery counties to assist with tourism infrastructure, grants to Carbon and Emery School Districts to help fund computer and technology teacher training, assistance with land and materials for the sweat-equity housing construction program, as well as 137 student scholarships to train and retrain Utah’s coal country workforce.

The university’s Gardner Policy Institute will continue to work with the Coal Country Synergy Team in Carbon and Emery counties. The projects will focus on community revitalization, scholarships, and economic development.

The north-to-south bus tour will continue for President Randall on Tuesday as he heads to Moab.

“Even having passed through these towns and communities all my life, I have learned something new every time. Particularly when you get in and start to talk to individuals and see what they are concerned about and what their big opportunities are. That is a different perspective for me.”